Tall, dark and handsome stranger
by voicelord
Summary: Kuchiki Rukia has specific taste. He might have been one good-looking bastard but white hair just didn't seem 'mysterious' enough. And besides, his height wasn't sufficient in terms of meeting her standards. Hitsugaya x Rukia


**Tall, dark and handsome stranger**

It was definitely due to the poor lighting in this place.

The amplified music that sounded like a dying horse might have had something to do with it as well.

After all, there was no other possible explanation for this most _unprecedented_ phenomenon.

Kuchiki Rukia most certainly did **not** find the imposing stranger attractive – not at the very least.

Forcefully biting down a curse when the bastard _smirked_, Rukia promptly repeated the mantra; placing even greater emphasis on the 'not'.

_Casually_ pulling down the ridiculously short dress, the petite female reached for her drink when the repetitive chanting did not seem to be working at all.

It didn't help one bit that she had just managed to get rid of a load of stoned idiots that just couldn't take 'no' for an answer.

And Rukia did not need another complication when it was within her _fricking_ right to enjoy a rare night out with friends.

...Friends who were going to mysteriously 'disappear' by the end of the day.

She was going to start off with Orihime for putting her in the strapped piece of material that did not even resemble proper clothing.

Hell, she was even going to kill Ichigo for bringing her here in the first place and for getting plastered with Renji since the initiation of their stupid drinking contest to her right.

Brushing aside a raven lock that always seemed to stray away from the rest of the pack, the younger sister of the prestigious Kuchiki Byakuya averted her eyes quickly when she _still_ felt his gaze.

It was going to be a long night.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_"...You want me to do what?" Hitsugaya did not feel as calm as his voice made him sound._

_Leaning against far end of the wall with precision, the white-haired male could have most certainly done a double take but knowing Byakuya..._

_"I want you to be Rukia's bodyguard until this is over." The Kuchiki heir repeated without any hesitation._

_So he didn't have hearing problems just yet. At least that was good news._

_"This particular project will take longer than anticipated. It is a matter of time before they put two and two together."_

_The CEO of the Kuchiki Corporation momentarily halted the signing process of various reports and impassive raven orbs bore into teal ones._

_"You've completed the initial part of the mission. But we'll need to wait until_ _Yoruichi plants her bugs for the next stage. Until then, I want you to lie low and guard Rukia while you're at it."_

_There was no joking when it came to Byakuya's baby sister._

_He hadn't met the girl just yet but __Hitsugaya was no idiot to not have heard the lengthy tales revolving around the Kuchiki sibling._

_And he did not have a death wish to throw himself in the firing range of an overprotective Byakuya. _

_Besides, to be reduced to a mere babysitting job was not something the other thoroughly enjoyed contemplating._

_With his usual temper in place, Hitsugaya would have snapped at the Kuchiki heir for making such a laughable request to someone as highly skilled as himself._

_But that was when teal orbs caught the sight of a rectangular frame of what appeared to be an intimate family photo placed next to the computer._

_Expressive violet orbs framed by dark thick lashes pierced through the surroundings._

_And Hitsugaya could not help but stare right back at them._

_Misunderstanding the prolonged silence as major discontempt, Byakuya immediately reacted to rectify the situation._

_"There won't be any more of these 'assignments' for some time. Also, your finance division in the Kuchiki Corporation will be momentarily taken care of by your second-in-command. Paid leave, of course."_

_...Paid leave, eh?_

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

He was one persistent asshole, that much was certain.

Not at all pleased with the aspect of hiding herself behind her drink for the whole evening, Rukia promptly straightened her back in that overbearing manner of hers that normally had the effect of reducing a full-grown male to tears.

It was something she had observed her nii-sama do countless of times with the board of members whenever they displayed bucket loads of incompetence during theose tedious meetings.

The raven-haired beauty had no intentions whatsoever of wasting a perfectly good Friday night because of some imbecile who – literally – could not keep his eyes to himself.

Peeking through lowered lashes, Rukia feverishly reminded herself of her preference for tall, dark, handsome men.

And it helped _immensely_ that he was not tall enough to fit under the agenda.

The silent male from across the club would not have even stood a chance next to; for example, the totally smashed freak with equally freakier tatoos and red hair.

He was much too lean; not enough shoulders and appeared much too adolescent in his nature.

She got enough of the 'vertically-challenged' comments.

Rukia had no intention of getting involved with someone who would amplify such taunting with a double vengeance.

There was no way in hell.

But when violet orbs reached his face; Rukia felt her breath quicken at menacing teal orbs.

_Remember, not tall enough; definitely not tall enough._

Presenting him with the most disapproving look she could muster, Rukia continued with her examination in the hopes of solidifying the plausibility of her theory on attraction and men.

She had to hand it to him though, he was one good looking asshole.

Once again, it could have been the terrible lighting but even a stubborn heiress, such as herself, would have to admit that his facial features were flawless. Strong bone structure, a defined jaw that promised _trouble_ and the most intense set of eyes she had ever seen. There was an almost boyish charm to the young male, not necessarily making him look immature but instead, giving him a roughened edge of untamed charisma and presence. Nevertheless, Rukia reminded herself of the absolutely _unforgivable_ fact that the stranger was not tall enough and that he wasn't 'dark' enough.

Who could ever be treated as a mysterious dark entity with what looked to be white hair?

And the raven-haired beauty would have gladly burst out laughing at the sheer sense of relief flooding her system...

But then the bastard **moved** and her throat went completely dry.

The man certainly knew how to work it.

There was a certain predatory stance in his movement; a cat-like grace that one had to be born with. Each step he took had strength in them and he screamed of raw power.

What Rukia had initially brushed aside as a pretty average looking body came straight back to bite her in the behind as the distance shortened between the two individuals.

On closer examination, she noted the lean, tout muscles that adorned his frame; the black shirt and tight jeans leaving nothing to the imagination. He did not appear to be as bulky as some of her male friends but there was a level of definition in his firmly chiseled shoulders and chest _and_… Dear Lord, she was in **big** trouble.

It was no exaggeration to suggest that people noticed. Unfortunately, so did Rukia.

And darn it, he _knew_ because the bastard was obviously relishing in her fixation with that all-too-obvious glint in his eyes.

It was a gut feeling of some sort but the frustrated female was certain her usual sassy method of 'innovative' threats would most likely not work on this stranger.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_"You've what?" Jushiro exclaimed as he tore his eyes away from the extensive report at hand - mouth gaping open in shock._

_The horrified feeling at the pit of his stomach began stirring._

_This was bad; this was going to be as bad as when Kenpachi challenged Toshiro to a sparring match - or even worse._

_...It had lasted a good full two months and the entire place had needed remodelling._

_Never giving Hitsugaya a chance to answer his rhetorical exclamation, the Head of security continued shrieking away._

_"Are you out of your mind, Toshiro? Do you even realise what you have done? Why the hell do you think the last guy hired to guard Rukia mysteriously disappeared?"_

_"He said I was the best. Plus I get paid leave so I don't get why it's such a big deal." Hitsugaya remarked, shrugging his shoulders in the process._

_It only served to encourage the other to hyperventilate._

_"Besides...she seems **interesting**."_

_Teal orbs darkened at the quick recollection of fair complexion and supple lips that the photographer had managed to capture in that moment's brilliance._

_He was also going to have to copy that photo without Byakuya noticing..._

_"Oh no, no, no! You are not going to hit on the younger sibling of our boss! You are going to get us all killed!"_

_With speed that even Hitsugaya would have to applaude, Jushiro promptly began shaking the other with great desperation in the hopes of rearranging his muddled brain._

_But when that predatory smirk continued to spread across his best friend's face, Jushiro knew that the **relatively** peaceful office days were no longer._

_They would all be murdered in their sleep._

_Seemingly unaware of the inner turmoil of the taller male, Hitsugaya relented in his own pace and to his own liking. _

_"Anyways, I need you to get the paper work done so that I can get started right away. Where's Rukia's file?" And Jushiro's sanity shattered with those words._

_The white-haired male simply carried on as if it was nothing out of the ordinary; having the audacity to uncaringly loosen his tie in the process._

_"...Soi-fong! Toshiro's gonna make us commit mass suicide! Make him stop!"_

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Effortless evading those dancing (more like grinding) in the centre of the floor, the threatening male made his way effortlessly towards the bar.

Cursing under her breath, Rukia tightly held onto her half-filled alcoholic beverage as she awaited the inevitable.

She even contemplated throwing the thing all over; just to give her a legitimate excuse of hiding in the bathroom.

But then her hair would smell like vodka and her skimpy present from her busty friend would be ruined. And besides, Rukia had the nastiest feeling that the stranger would use it to his advantage.

She did not need to be irritated _and_ wet at the same time.

...Renji and Ichigo were absolutely useless as they remained immobile when they could have - _for once in their lives_ - done some good with their usual display of overprotectiveness.

"I'm Toshiro." A deep baritone whispered from above.

Standing directly opposite to the very much irritated female, the handsome stranger stood in ease and she noticed immediately that the top of her head just _barely_ reached his chin.

At least he didn't follow after a giant of some sort like most of her acquaintances.

But **damnation**; the man was still much taller than she had previously anticipated.

"Not interested." With a new found hatred for proving the first part of her theory wrong, Rukia gritted out; never once hiding her current mood.

"…Really? I was under a distinctly different impression." His wolfish grin was much too _sharp_.

"You really shouldn't make such bold assumptions. Could come and bite you in the ass."

"Unless the assumptions are correct, of course." The stranger retorted just as easily.

"And I really think you should leave." She reaffirmed just in case the _over-confident_, **egoistic**, son-of-a-bitch had selective hearing impairment and a short-term memory to boot.

But he just had to throw his head back and _laugh_.

How he managed to do it with such masculine ease and appeal, Rukia had absolutely no idea.

But when teal eyes glinted back and simply stared with such _intensity_, the young Kuchiki could do nothing else but lean back further into the rigid frame of the bar table as the hair at the back of her neck stood in warning.

This man was dangerous. There was no doubt about it.

"Isn't it common courtesy to give me your name now that you have mine?"

"It wouldn't matter, now would it? Since I'm. not. interested." Rukia snapped on reflex. Not fully aware of half the things she had just said.

"…I think I'm going to like you very much," after a careful contemplating look, the bastard continued as if he hadn't even noticed the anger in her voice.

Snarling at that high-handed comment, Rukia was quite ready to scratch his pretty green eyeballs out when surprisingly warm hands interjected in expertise.

Rough, calloused hands gently yet firmly halted the process with a grip that had Rukia seething and breathless at the same time.

Drawing both her encaged arms to the side as he drew near until his firm body molded against the soft curves of her own and the raven-haired female could not fight down the blush that exploded across her cheeks.

"Yes; I am definitely going to like you _very_ much, _Kuchiki Rukia_." His hot breath imprinted the final warning as Rukia dizzily tried to comprehend the meaning of all this.

She should have started panicking; even feel petrified at the fact that a complete stranger knew her name.

But when the said other effortlessly pulled her to the dance floor, Rukia could not refuse the tall, dark, and handsome male.

With a winning smirk, Toshiro made a point to relish in her begrudged acceptance.

...The delectable little thing had no idea what was in store for her now that he was officially on paid leave.


End file.
